Bids being reviewed for Streetscape project

Although the bids were opened Sept. 6, Downtown Goldsboro Development Corp. Director Julie Thompson said she and her associates were not prepared to make a recommendation for the Center Street Streetscape project to the City Council at the meeting later that night.

City Planning Director Randy Guthrie said there simply wasn't enough time between the midday opening of the bids and the 5 p.m. council work session to form a recommendation in time for the meeting.

Guthrie said staff met later in the week to discuss the bids, but didn't envision there would be a recommendation in time for the council's Monday meeting, adding that City Manager Scott Stevens set the goal of having a recommendation prepared for the Oct. 3 council meeting.

The project, which consists of 11 sub-sections, will renovate North Center Street's 200 block, widening sidewalks, replacing angled parking with parallel parking and providing for a walking path and a small park in the median.

The preliminary bids show J.W. Brand with the lowest bid of four at just below $1.74 million and Lanier Construction with the highest bid at $2,089,738.

Early estimates of the project, which will one day encompass all of Center Street from Ash Street southbound, predicted each block costing about $1 million each.